Labor leader Bill Shorten warns freezing the Medicare rebates doctors receive until 2020 is a disaster for patient care.
But he still won't say whether Labor intends to reverse the extended freeze, initially imposed by the Gillard government in 2013, announced in the May 3 budget.
"We won't be finalising our Medicare rebate policy today," Mr Shorten told reporters in the NSW far north coast town of Kingscliff on Sunday.
Doctors have warned the freeze is a co-payment by stealth because they won't be able to bulk-bill patients because of rising costs.
"It is a sneaky new tax that punishes every Australian family," Australian Medical Association president Brian Owler said.
Doctors now had no choice but to pass the costs of running their practice - such as rents, staff, technology and equipment - onto patients.
"The patient will be out of pocket at least an extra $10 and in most cases probably more like to be $20," Professor Owler said.
The AMA has distributed posters to its members, warning patients they will be out of pocket because of the freeze.
But the latest government figures show bulk-billing rates for GP services are at an all-time high of 84.3 per cent, having continued to rise around one per cent each year since 2013.
The Medicare rebate covers only about 50 per cent of the consulting fee recommended by the AMA.
Mr Shorten also accused the government of creating the false impression taxpayer-funded incentives for bulk-billing pathology services would continue.
"This issue is only delayed, not fixed," he said, taking Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to task for using their televised debate on Friday night to announce the issue had been resolved.
"He should be ashamed of what he said. This issue is only delayed, not fixed."
